Suspect identified, charged after 3 SPD officers injured in shooting
SU's Department of Public Safety and Syracuse Police Department are currently responding to a reported shooting near the I-81 off-ramp near Adams and Almond streets. DPS and SPD ask those close by to avoid the area. Daily Orange File Photo
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UPDATE: This post was updated at 8:41 p.m. on May 9, 2026.
A suspect is now in custody after two Syracuse Police Department officers were shot and a third was injured after responding to a shooting near the I-81 off-ramp near Adams and Almond streets, according to a Saturday SPD release. All three officers are in stable condition, SPD Chief Mark Rusin said.
The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Rodney Vanderpool of Syracuse, was taken into custody after a six-hour standoff with police at approximately 3:15 p.m., according to the release.
Vanderpool faces multiple charges, including three counts of attempted first-degree murder and second-degree attempted assault. He’s also charged with second-degree menacing, fourth and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated cruelty to animals.
Additional charges may be added as the investigation continues. He awaits arraignment at the Onondaga County Justice Center.
SPD and Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety received multiple calls about a person reportedly injuring a dog with a machete at the Pioneer Homes area around 6:00 a.m., according to the release. The officers learned the suspect was inside 120 Tyler Court, an area in the Pioneer Homes community across from SUNY Upstate Medical University.
The officers were shot after entering the residence, for which they obtained a search warrant, and fired shots back. Details regarding the third officer’s injuries are unclear.
“I’m grateful for the recovery of our police officers, proud of the men and women of the Syracuse Police Department and thankful to the several law enforcement and emergency service partners who come from all levels of government to manage a dangerous situation in a manner that serves as a model for the nation,” Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens said in the statement.
The scene remained “active” for several hours as the suspect continued to shoot at police officers trying to communicate with the suspect and resolve the situation, according to the release.
“The incident on Tyler Court was an extremely dangerous and rapidly evolving one,” Rusin said in a statement.
Saturday morning, police made a “reverse-911” call to nearby residents, warning them to stay inside and describing the scene as an “active crime scene/shooting incident,” syracuse.com reported.
Officers shut down the roads from East Adams Street from State Street to Almond Street, as well as South McBride Street near Tyler Court.
In a campus-wide email, the Department of Public Safety at Syracuse University asked people to “seek alternate routes” and “avoid the area” until further notice, as the activity was causing significant traffic back-ups.
In a follow-up email sent at 5:00 p.m., DPS pronounced the scene clear and safe for travel and that normal traffic flow had resumed near the area.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information can contact SPD’s Criminal Investigations Division at (315) 442-5222.
